Chloe Kelly’s early opener helped ensure Arsenal finished Women’s Super League runners-up with a 4-3 victory over Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on the final day of the campaign.

Kelly got the scoring started two minutes after kick-off, but the Manchester City loanee’s goal was cancelled out by England team-mate Ella Toone 11 minutes later.

Mariona Caldentey’s second-half penalty and goals from Frida Maanum and Kim Little extended Arsenal’s lead to 4-1 before United substitute Elisabeth Terland clawed a goal back and Maya Le Tissier dialled up the drama with a 76th-minute penalty.

Both teams had already secured European football for next season, but second place means Arsenal enter as early as the third Champions League qualifying round, while United – who finish third, four points behind the Gunners – will start their campaign in the second qualifying round.

Arsenal could still book direct passage to the league phase – and join WSL champions Chelsea – if they beat Barcelona in their May 24th Champions League final.

The hosts were gifted the opener when United keeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce came out for Alessia Russo’s cross, but fumbled what should have been a straightforward collection.

Kelly then pounced on the loose ball, wove her way around two blue shirts, and looped a shot over the American keeper.

Russo was narrowly off-target with a header soon after, before United enjoyed a lengthy spell deep inside the Gunners’ half and there was a brilliant leaping save by Manuela Zinsberger, who tipped Grace Clinton’s effort over the bar.

Toone drew the sides level from the resulting corner, Zinsberger getting a hand to the ball again but this time unable to keep out the England international’s header.

There was another chance for Kelly just after the 20-minute mark, but her effort landed in the roof of Tullis-Joyce’s net, while Maanum twice missed chances to fire Arsenal back in front.

United’s opportunities remained few and far between, limited largely to Melvine Malard’s volley which never looked close, and Celin Bizet’s crossbar-clipping effort late in the half.

It remained all square at the break after Tullis-Joyce denied Caitlin Foord in added time, and it was the Australian who won Arsenal’s penalty almost immediately after the second half kicked off when she was tripped by Clinton.

Up stepped Caldentey, who sent Tullis-Joyce the wrong way in the 50th minute as she fired into the bottom right.

Maanum made it three six minutes later, latching onto Katie McCabe’s perfectly-weighted pass and curling the ball into the far corner.

Kelly then turned provider with a clever light touch to set up captain Little, who pivoted and fired into the bottom left past the diving Tullis-Joyce one minute after the hour.

Terland scored after easily intercepting McCabe’s sloppy pass, her effort taking a heavy deflection off an Arsenal player before going in with 20 minutes remaining.

Le Tissier then reduced United’s deficit further from the spot after McCabe was rightly punished for bringing down Bizet, but they could not find an equaliser in seven minutes of stoppage time.